55 Conifers for Unique Sites & Specialty Gardens

Needle Color: Silver/Blue

Cone Color: Brown

This beautiful frosted blue evergreen adds a miniature pop of color to a rock garden. The deep blue foliage stands in stark contrast to the light bluish white needles that burst forth in the spring.

Prickly Pete does not need pruning except to remove dead or diseased wood. This conifer has an informal, natural look, and does best in cottage-style landscapes, rock gardens, and containers.

Plant Profile:

• Height @ 10 Years: 1’
• Width @ 10 Years: 1’
• Hardiness Zone: 4-8
• Sun Exposure: Sun
• Soil Preference: Rich, moist, well-drained, slightly acidic
• Pest Resistance:
  • Essentially disease-free
• Pest Vulnerability:
  • Aphids
  • Adelgids
• Container Plant: Yes

Needle Color: Dark Green

Cone Color: Brown

This miniature evergreen matures into a small, flat globe. The dark green needles are whorled, and the branches burst out from the center to form a small, dense ball.

This conifer responds well to light pruning, but it has a natural, mounding shape that adds character to a natural rock garden or landscape.

Plant Profile:

• Height @ 10 Years: 1’
• Width @ 10 Years: 1’
• Hardiness Zone: 5-8
• Sun Exposure: Sun
• Soil Preference: Rich, moist, well-drained, slightly acidic
• Pest Resistance:
  • Essentially disease-free
• Pest Vulnerability:
  • Aphids
  • Adelgids
• Container Plant: Yes

Needle Color: Blue/Grey

Cone Color: Brown

This unique mini conifer has a slate grey/blue color and long, droopy needles. The overall form is a short, flat, shaggy mound.

This specimen plant does not tolerate extreme cold weather, so it is not a good choice for rock gardens in northern climates. Once the plant is established, it is quite drought tolerant.

Plant Profile:

• Height @ 10 Years: 8”
• Width @ 10 Years: 12”
• Hardiness Zone: 6-9
• Sun Exposure: Sun
• Soil Preference: Rich, moist, well-drained, slightly acidic
• Pest Resistance:
  • Essentially disease-free
• Pest Vulnerability:
  • Aphids
  • Adelgids
  • Tip blight
• Container Plant: Yes

Needle Color: Yellow/Green

Cone Color: Brown

This dwarf conifer adds a bright pop of color to a landscape. The intensity of the yellow undertones will change depending on how much light the plant receives. The more shade, the more lime green or yellow the needles will appear. However, this plant can only tolerate part shade; it will suffer in low light.

Plant Profile:

• Height @ 10 Years: 4’
• Width @ 10 Years: 2’
• Hardiness Zone: 5-9
• Sun Exposure: Sun/Part Shade
• Soil Preference: Rich, moist, well-drained, slightly acidic
• Pest Resistance:
  • Essentially disease-free
• Pest Vulnerability:
  • Aphids
  • Adelgids
• Container Plant: No

Needle Color: Gold/Blue/Green

Cone Color: Brown

This tri-color conifer adds a unique touch to a rock garden. The deep blue and green striped needles have light yellow tips that add dimension to the overall globulose form.

As the plant matures, a pyramidal shape may appear, although you can maintain the mounding globe look with light pruning. This is a great option for rock gardens with clay, alkaline soil.

Plant Profile:

• Height @ 10 Years: 3.5’
• Width @ 10 Years: 2’
• Hardiness Zone: 3-9
• Sun Exposure: Sun
• Soil Preference: Rich-sandy, moist, well-drained, slightly acidic-slightly alkaline
• Pest Resistance:
  • Deer
• Pest Vulnerability:
  • Aphids
  • Adelgids
  • Conifer red spider mite
• Container Plant: No

Needle Color: Green

Cone Color: Brown

This dwarf specimen has a slight weeping form. It will either grow prostrate along the ground, or droop over retaining or container walls to form a green, mounding carpet.

This dwarf Jack Pine is a tough, cold-hardy conifer that can tolerate a wide variety of soil and weather conditions.

Plant Profile:

• Height @ 10 Years: 1’
• Width @ 10 Years: 4’
• Hardiness Zone: 2-9
• Sun Exposure: Sun
• Soil Preference: Rich-sandy, moist, well-drained, slightly acidic-slightly alkaline
• Pest Resistance:
  • Deer
• Pest Vulnerability:
  • Aphids
  • Adelgids
• Container Plant: No

Needle Color: Grey/Green

Cone Color: Brown

This dwarf limber pine has the familiar flexible branches and dull green needles of the full-sized limber pine. Over time, the plant will morph from a small globe to somewhat of a cone, but with consistent pruning, you can maintain the globe form.

The Comanche limber pine is drought tolerant.

Plant Profile:

• Height @ 10 Years: 3’
• Width @ 10 Years: 2’
• Hardiness Zone: 4-8
• Sun Exposure: Sun
• Soil Preference: Rich-sandy, moist, well-drained, slightly acidic
• Pest Resistance:
  • Deer
  • Verticillium wilt
• Pest Vulnerability:
  • Aphids
  • Adelgids
• Container Plant: No

Needle Color: Green

Cone Color: Brown

This rare cultivar was first discovered as a witch’s broom on a full-sized Eastern white pine. The tufts at the ends of the branches look like starbursts surrounding the brown terminal buds, which is how the cultivar earned its name.

Prune this cultivar to maintain a small, compact shape.

Plant Profile:

• Height @ 10 Years: 2’
• Width @ 10 Years: 2.5’
• Hardiness Zone: 3-8
• Sun Exposure: Sun
• Soil Preference: Rich-sandy, moist, well-drained, slightly acidic
• Pest Resistance:
  • Deer
  • Verticillium wilt
• Pest Vulnerability:
  • Aphids
  • Adelgids
• Container Plant: Yes

Needle Color: Dark Green

Cone Color: Brown

This miniature evergreen matures into a small, flat globe. The dark green needles are whorled, and the branches burst out from the center to form a small, dense ball.

This conifer responds well to light pruning, but it has a natural, mounding shape that adds character to a natural rock garden or fairy garden.

Plant Profile:

• Height @ 10 Years: 1’
• Width @ 10 Years: 1’
• Hardiness Zone: 5-8
• Sun Exposure: Sun
• Soil Preference: Rich, moist, well-drained, slightly acidic
• Pest Resistance:
  • Essentially disease-free
• Pest Vulnerability:
  • Aphids
  • Adelgids
• Container Plant: Yes

Needle Color: White/Silver

Cone Color: Brown

This unique conifer began life as a witch’s broom, a common plant deformity, and is now a miniature specimen for landscapes and containers. The mature plant is less than 2’ tall, and is a dense, compact globe. New growth is tightly recurved, showing the white underside of the needles.

This cultivar is more tolerant of hot, dry conditions than most other firs.

Plant Profile:

• Height @ 10 Years: 1.5’
• Width @ 10 Years: 1’
• Hardiness Zone: 5-8
• Sun Exposure: Sun
• Soil Preference: Sandy-loamy, moist-dry, well-drained, slightly acidic
• Pest Resistance:
  • Deer
  • Essentially disease-free
• Pest Vulnerability:
  • Aphids
  • Adelgids
• Container Plant: Yes

Needle Color: Blue/Grey

Cone Color: Brown

This unique mini conifer has a slate grey/blue color and long, droopy needles. The overall form is a short, flat, shaggy mound.

This specimen plant does not tolerate extreme cold weather, so it is not a good choice for exposed planters or containers in cooler climates. Once the plant is established, it is quite drought tolerant.

Plant Profile:

• Height @ 10 Years: 8”
• Width @ 10 Years: 12”
• Hardiness Zone: 6-9
• Sun Exposure: Sun
• Soil Preference: Rich, moist, well-drained, slightly acidic
• Pest Resistance:
  • Essentially disease-free
• Pest Vulnerability:
  • Aphids
  • Adelgids
  • Tip blight
• Container Plant: Yes

Needle Color: Light Green

Cone Color: Brown

This shaggy cultivar is the slowest-growing Cedar of Lebanon available. The needles are much brighter than the Hedgehog cultivar, but the overall size and shape is similar.

This miniature cultivar makes an excellent addition to miniature gardens, and once it is established, it is reliably drought tolerant.

Plant Profile:

• Height @ 10 Years: 10”
• Width @ 10 Years: 10”
• Hardiness Zone: 6-9
• Sun Exposure: Sun
• Soil Preference: Rich-sandy, moist, well-drained, slightly acidic
• Pest Resistance:
  • Essentially disease-free
• Pest Vulnerability:
  • Aphids
  • Adelgids
  • Tip blight
• Container Plant: Yes

Needle Color: Dark Green

Cone Color: Brown

This unique cultivar has an open, upright form with short, dense needles. The branches look like pipe cleaners that extend up and out from the main trunk.

This cultivar responds well to pruning. Prune old wood out of the center of the plant to accentuate the unique branch and needle structure and add a whimsical touch to a small fairy or railroad garden.

Plant Profile:

• Height @ 10 Years: 1.5’
• Width @ 10 Years: 1’
• Hardiness Zone: 5-9
• Sun Exposure: Sun/Part Shade
• Soil Preference: Rich-sandy, moist, well-drained, slightly acidic
• Pest Resistance:
  • Essentially disease-free
• Pest Vulnerability:
  • Aphids
  • Adelgids
• Container Plant: Yes

Needle Color: Dark Green

Cone Color: Brown

This fun miniature cultivar tolerates heavy shaping pruning, which can result in a tiny plant with a real awwwww factor. Left to its own devices, this false cypress will form a small, dense, mounding lump that looks more like a moss-covered rock than a plant.

This plant is a unique addition to a small fairy garden or trough garden, and it lends a challenge to gardeners who want to perfect precision pruning.

Plant Profile:

• Height @ 10 Years: 1’
• Width @ 10 Years: 1’
• Hardiness Zone: 4-9
• Sun Exposure: Sun/Part Shade
• Soil Preference: Rich-sandy, moist, well-drained, slightly acidic
• Pest Resistance:
  • Essentially disease-free
• Pest Vulnerability:
  • Aphids
  • Adelgids
• Container Plant: Yes

Needle Color: White/Silver Green

Cone Color: Brown

This cultivar grows in a near-perfect cone and produces bursts of new, white growth in the spring. This flash of spring color fades to a dense, dark silver/green in the summer.

This plant will grow in a natural cone shape, but it handles pruning well, and takes on a formal look when the outer growth is shaped into a smooth cone form.

Plant Profile:

• Height @ 10 Years: 18”
• Width @ 10 Years: 18”
• Hardiness Zone: 3-8
• Sun Exposure: Sun/Part Shade
• Soil Preference: Rich-sandy, moist, well-drained, slightly acidic
• Pest Resistance:
  • Essentially disease-free
  • Deer
• Pest Vulnerability:
  • Aphids
  • Adelgids
  • Conifer red spider mite
• Container Plant: Yes

Needle Color: Light Green

Cone Color: Brown

Pixie Dust has small, light green tufts of new growth in the spring that look as though the entire plant was sprinkled in fairy dust. This rather fitting image is one reason this is a popular choice for fairy gardens.

Careful pruning will increase the new growth each spring, which will enhance the showy springtime color. This conifer has a tight, conical shape with upright branches.

Plant Profile:

• Height @ 10 Years: 15”
• Width @ 10 Years: 8”
• Hardiness Zone: 3-8
• Sun Exposure: Sun
• Soil Preference: Rich-sandy, moist, well-drained, slightly acidic
• Pest Resistance:
  • Essentially disease-free
  • Deer
• Pest Vulnerability:
  • Aphids
  • Adelgids
  • Conifer red spider mite
• Container Plant: Yes

Needle Color: Blue/Green

Cone Color: Brown

This is one of the most common miniature conifers for fairy gardens and rock gardens. The compact, blue/green needles and mounding form provide a cool backdrop for more colorful, structural plants.

This cultivar is one of the most cold-hardy miniature conifers available. This conifer will grow a little larger than the other plants in this category, so you have the option to prune it down into a dense little mound, or allow it to grow to its mature size and create a soft backdrop for smaller plants.

Plant Profile:

• Height @ 10 Years: 2’
• Width @ 10 Years: 3’
• Hardiness Zone: 2-8
• Sun Exposure: Sun
• Soil Preference: Rich-sandy, moist, well-drained, slightly acidic-slightly alkaline
• Pest Resistance:
  • Essentially disease-free
  • Deer
• Pest Vulnerability:
  • Aphids
  • Adelgids
  • Conifer red spider mite
• Container Plant: Yes

Needle Color: Dark Green

Cone Color: Pink

Mt. Vernon is a miniature conifer with extremely small, compact needles. The branches are dense and upright, and produce bright pink cones in the spring.

This small, mounding conifer is perfect for railroad specimens or fairy gardens.

Plant Profile:

• Height @ 10 Years: 8”
• Width @ 10 Years: 18”
• Hardiness Zone: 4-8
• Sun Exposure: Sun/Part Shade
• Soil Preference: Rich-sandy, moist, well-drained, slightly acidic
• Pest Resistance:
  • Essentially disease-free
  • Deer
• Pest Vulnerability:
  • Aphids
  • Adelgids
• Container Plant: Yes

Needle Color: Gold

Cone Color: Brown

This miniature conifer is a perfect specimen plant for shady locations. The light green foliage turns a brilliant gold in the spring, and the foliage may burn if it is in direct sun.

This conifer has small needles, slightly upright branches, and a low, mounding growth habit.

Plant Profile:

• Height @ 10 Years: 10”
• Width @ 10 Years: 12”
• Hardiness Zone: 4-9
• Sun Exposure: Part Shade
• Soil Preference: Rich-sandy, moist, well-drained, slightly acidic
• Pest Resistance:
  • Essentially disease-free
  • Deer
• Pest Vulnerability:
  • Aphids
  • Adelgids
• Container Plant: Yes

Needle Color: Blue

Cone Color: Brown

The Blue Pearl miniature conifer is a cute addition to a fairy garden or railroad display. The short, dense foliage forms a tight ball around the central trunk.

This spruce responds well to pruning, so you can shape it up into a small tree form or allow it to take on a more natural, mounding shape.

Plant Profile:

• Height @ 10 Years: 1.5’
• Width @ 10 Years: 1.5’
• Hardiness Zone: 3-8
• Sun Exposure: Sun
• Soil Preference: Rich-sandy, moist, well-drained, slightly acidic
• Pest Resistance:
  • Essentially disease-free
  • Deer
• Pest Vulnerability:
  • Aphids
  • Adelgids
• Container Plant: Yes

Needle Color: Green

Cone Color: Brown

This miniature pine is a new cultivar from Denmark, and it is praised for how the needles drape against the branches and create an elegant, tufted look.

This miniature conifer is larger than most of the other plants in this category, and it doesn’t respond as well to hard pruning. This cultivar is best for trough gardens and larger fairy or railroad gardens. Jakobsen is more cold-hardy than most miniature conifers.

Plant Profile:

• Height @ 10 Years: 1.5’
• Width @ 10 Years: 2’
• Hardiness Zone: 2-8
• Sun Exposure: Sun
• Soil Preference: Rich-sandy, moist, well-drained, slightly acidic-slightly alkaline
• Pest Resistance:
  • Essentially disease-free
  • Deer
• Pest Vulnerability:
  • Aphids
  • Adelgids
  • Tip blight
• Container Plant: Yes

Needle Color: Green

Cone Color: Brown

Paul’s Dwarf is a cultivar that can be kept to a small size through consistent pruning. The open, upright branching structure gives the appearance of maturity, which adds character to small fairy or trough gardens.

Over time, this plant will form a subtle cone shape, but you can manipulate the form by pruning.

Plant Profile:

• Height @ 10 Years: 1.5’
• Width @ 10 Years: 3’
• Hardiness Zone: 2-8
• Sun Exposure: Sun
• Soil Preference: Rich-sandy, moist, well-drained, slightly acidic
• Pest Resistance:
  • Essentially disease-free
  • Deer
• Pest Vulnerability:
  • Aphids
  • Adelgids
  • Tip blight
• Container Plant: Yes

Needle Color: Blue/Silver

Cone Color: Red

This brilliant, frosted white pine is a fan-favorite for trough and fairy gardens. The striped needles and bright red cones add a burst of color and character, as well as structural interest with the open, upright branches.

This dwarf conifer prefers warmer climates, and it can tolerate a wide range of soils as long as it is in a well-drained area.

Plant Profile:

• Height @ 10 Years: 4’
• Width @ 10 Years: 2’
• Hardiness Zone: 5-9
• Sun Exposure: Sun
• Soil Preference: Rich-sandy, moist, well-drained, slightly acidic
• Pest Resistance:
  • Essentially disease-free
  • Deer
• Pest Vulnerability:
  • Aphids
  • Adelgids
• Container Plant: Yes

Needle Color: Blue/Green

Cone Color: Brown

Catherine Elizabeth is a dense, mounding specimen with a windswept appearance. The branches are compact and upright, and with a little pruning, this conifer can become a miniature tree with a Japanese flair.

This specimen won the ACS Select Conifer of the Year award in 2019.

Plant Profile:

• Height @ 10 Years: 2’
• Width @ 10 Years: 3’
• Hardiness Zone: 5-9
• Sun Exposure: Sun
• Soil Preference: Rich-sandy, moist, well-drained, slightly acidic
• Pest Resistance:
  • Essentially disease-free
  • Deer
• Pest Vulnerability:
  • Aphids
  • Adelgids
• Container Plant: Yes

Needle Color: Blue/Green

Cone Color: Brown

Sea Urchin is a compact, bushy conifer with long, soft needles. The overall form resembles a sea urchin, hence the name.

This conifer has a compact, mounding habit, and the long, dense needles can restrict airflow to the center of the plant. Clear out dead needles before new growth in the spring to help prevent disease.

Plant Profile:

• Height @ 10 Years: 1’
• Width @ 10 Years: 1’
• Hardiness Zone: 3-8
• Sun Exposure: Sun
• Soil Preference: Rich-sandy, moist, well-drained, slightly acidic-slightly alkaline
• Pest Resistance:
  • Deer
• Pest Vulnerability:
  • Aphids
  • Adelgids
  • Fungal infections
• Container Plant: Yes

Needle Color: Green

Cone Color: Brown

This unique cultivar has an odd, upright habit with thick needles, which apparently gives this plant the rough character of a penguin. Old needles are extremely long compared to the short, dense new growth.

This pine will eventually develop into a small cone.

Plant Profile:

• Height @ 10 Years: 3’
• Width @ 10 Years: 1.5’
• Hardiness Zone: 3-8
• Sun Exposure: Sun/Part Shade
• Soil Preference: Rich-sandy, moist, well-drained, slightly acidic
• Pest Resistance:
  • Deer
• Pest Vulnerability:
  • Aphids
  • Adelgids
• Container Plant: Yes

Needle Color: Gold

Cone Color: Brown

The Moseri Scots Pine has a unique form and brilliant fall color. Old needles can be up to 4x as long as new growth, which gives the plant an overall full, shaggy look. This is amplified by the color change in the fall as the needles fade from a deep green to a bright yellow gold.

This larger conifer is a good background plant for smaller, more unique specimen plants.

Plant Profile:

• Height @ 10 Years: 4’
• Width @ 10 Years: 2’
• Hardiness Zone: 4-8
• Sun Exposure: Sun
• Soil Preference: Rich, moist-dry, well-drained, slightly acidic
• Pest Resistance:
  • Deer
• Pest Vulnerability:
  • Dothistroma needle blight
  • Red band needle blight
  • Needle cast
  • Pine stem rust
• Container Plant: No

Needle Color: Green

Cone Color: Brown

Dense, dark green foliage tightly covers the branches of this dwarf tree, which give it an odd, random growth pattern. The needle size can vary, which adds to the illogical nature of this plant’s growth habit. However, this arborvitae is easy to prune into a more predictable shape while maintaining the unique character of the branches.

This conifer adds character to a landscape, and it can be pruned down to fit the size requirements of a small fairy, trough, or railroad garden.

Plant Profile:

• Height @ 10 Years: 4’
• Width @ 10 Years: 2’
• Hardiness Zone: 4-9
• Sun Exposure: Sun/Part Shade
• Soil Preference: Sandy-loamy, well-drained, slightly acidic
• Pest Resistance:
  • Deer
• Pest Vulnerability:
  • Bagworms
  • Spider mites
  • Scale
  • Leafminers
• Container Plant: Yes

Needle Color: Red/Purple/Burgundy

Bloom Color: N/A

This delicate Japanese Maple changes color throughout the year, but it always has deep red undertones. The leaves are light and lacy, as the name suggests, and they add a delicate, magical character to small fairy gardens or railroad displays.

Plant Baby Lace in a protected area away from strong winds.

Plant Profile:

• Height @ 10 Years: 1’
• Width @ 10 Years: 4’
• Hardiness Zone: 6-9
• Sun Exposure: Part Shade
• Soil Preference: Clay-sandy, well-drained, slightly acidic
• Pest Resistance:
  • Rabbit
• Pest Vulnerability:
  • Horse chestnut scale
  • Verticillium wilt
  • Aphids
• Container Plant: Yes

Needle Color: Pink/Red/Gold/Green

Bloom Color: N/A

Goshiki Kotohime has a unique, pronounced upright growth habit. The leaves have a distinct palmate shape, true to the Japanese Maple, but the leaves hug the branches in dense clusters, which makes the branch structure much more visible.

This tree will outgrow small specimen gardens, but it provides a beautiful, structural background for specialty plantings.

Plant Profile:

• Height @ 10 Years: 6’
• Width @ 10 Years: 3’
• Hardiness Zone: 6-9
• Sun Exposure: Sun/Part Shade
• Soil Preference: Clay-sandy, well-drained, slightly acidic
• Pest Resistance:
  • Rabbit
• Pest Vulnerability:
  • Horse chestnut scale
  • Verticillium wilt
  • Aphids
• Container Plant: Yes

Needle Color: Pink/Red/Purple

Bloom Color: N/A

This cultivar floats between an upright shrub and compact dwarf tree, depending on the pruning style. The leaves will maintain a red color throughout the growing season, but the intensity and warmth will vary depending on the time of year.

Shaina is a sensitive cultivar and will not do well in cold climates. Plant in a protected area.

Plant Profile:

• Height @ 10 Years: 2.5’
• Width @ 10 Years: 5’
• Hardiness Zone: 6-9
• Sun Exposure: Sun/Part Shade
• Soil Preference: Clay-sandy, well-drained, slightly acidic
• Pest Resistance:
  • Rabbit
• Pest Vulnerability:
  • Horse chestnut scale
  • Verticillium wilt
  • Aphids
• Container Plant: Yes

Needle Color: Green/Orange/Red

Bloom Color: N/A

This cultivar is one of the few true dwarf Japanese Maples. The leaves on this specimen tree are tiny, and they have a whimsical, curved shape.

Sharp’s Pygmy has a distinct, open tree shape that can be pruned into a flat, draping specimen.

Plant Profile:

• Height @ 10 Years: 4’
• Width @ 10 Years: 4.5’
• Hardiness Zone: 6-9
• Sun Exposure: Sun/Part Shade
• Soil Preference: Clay-sandy, well-drained, slightly acidic
• Pest Resistance:
  • Rabbit
• Pest Vulnerability:
  • Horse chestnut scale
  • Verticillium wilt
  • Aphids
• Container Plant: Yes

Needle Color: Green

Cone Color: Brown

This large conifer prefers full sun, but it will tolerate light shade. This upright tree has layered, slightly drooping branches with tight, feathery needles.

This conifer is sensitive to harsh winds and drought conditions. Plant in a protected area in rich, well-drained soil.

Plant Profile:

• Height @ 10 Years: 9’
• Width @ 10 Years: 5’
• Hardiness Zone: 5-9
• Sun Exposure: Sun/Part Shade
• Soil Preference: Rich, moist, well-drained, slightly acidic
• Pest Resistance:
  • Essentially disease-free
  • Deer
• Pest Vulnerability:
  • Aphids
  • Adelgids
  • Leaf blight
  • Leaf spot
• Container Plant: No

Needle Color: White/Green

Cone Color: Brown

This dwarf conifer has an extraordinary, variegated needle color. The outer needles have a bright, creamy white color which creates a sharp contrast to the deep green, old inner growth. The color variation is more pronounced in part shade, where the tips become bright white.

Plant this conifer in part shade to prevent tip burn.

Plant Profile:

• Height @ 10 Years: 4’
• Width @ 10 Years: 2’
• Hardiness Zone: 4-9
• Sun Exposure: Part Shade
• Soil Preference: Rich, moist, well-drained, slightly acidic
• Pest Resistance:
  • Essentially disease-free
  • Verticillium wilt
  • Deer
• Pest Vulnerability:
  • Aphids
  • Adelgids
• Container Plant: No

Needle Color: Gold

Cone Color: Brown

This miniature conifer is a perfect specimen plant for shady locations. The light green foliage turns a brilliant gold in the spring, and the foliage may burn if it is in direct sun.

This conifer has small needles, slightly upright branches, and a low, mounding growth habit.

Plant Profile:

• Height @ 10 Years: 10”
• Width @ 10 Years: 12”
• Hardiness Zone: 4-9
• Sun Exposure: Part Shade
• Soil Preference: Rich-sandy, moist, well-drained, slightly acidic
• Pest Resistance:
  • Essentially disease-free
  • Deer
• Pest Vulnerability:
  • Aphids
  • Adelgids
• Container Plant: Yes

Needle Color: White/Pink/Grey

Cone Color: Brown

The name of this cultivar translates to “snow in the valley”. This unique conifer has an unexpected mix of pink and white growth in the spring. The bold, pink and white candles contrast with the slate grey/green color of the old growth, which gives the entire tree an icy, frosted look.

Plant in part shade-mostly shade for a more pronounced color variegation.

Plant Profile:

• Height @ 10 Years: 3’
• Width @ 10 Years: 1.5’
• Hardiness Zone: 5-9
• Sun Exposure: Part Shade/Mostly Shade
• Soil Preference: Rich-sandy, moist, well-drained, slightly acidic
• Pest Resistance:
  • Essentially disease-free
  • Deer
  • Rabbit
• Pest Vulnerability:
  • Aphids
  • Adelgids
• Container Plant: Yes

Needle Color: Blue/Green

Cone Color: Brown

This dwarf conifer has the characteristic long, soft needles associated with Eastern White Pines. This cultivar is a slow-growing, mounding plant with shaggy branches.

The Blue Shag cultivar is a low-maintenance plant suited for rock gardens and landscape beds. Although this plant performs well in full sun, it can also tolerate some shade.

Plant Profile:

• Height @ 10 Years: 3’
• Width @ 10 Years: 4’
• Hardiness Zone: 3-8
• Sun Exposure: Sun/Part Shade
• Soil Preference: Rich-sandy, moist, well-drained, slightly acidic-slightly alkaline
• Pest Resistance:
  • Essentially disease-free
  • Deer
  • Rabbit
• Pest Vulnerability:
  • Aphids
  • Adelgids
• Container Plant: Yes

Needle Color: Green/Gold/Silver

Cone Color: Brown

This upright cultivar has a distinct, columnar form with colorful, variegated needles. Old growth has a deep green color with silver stripes, which is contrasted in the spring by bursts of new, golden needles.

Yews can withstand heavy pruning, so this cultivar could be shaped into a more formal, columnar specimen.

Plant Profile:

• Height @ 10 Years: 5’
• Width @ 10 Years: 1.5’
• Hardiness Zone: 6-8
• Sun Exposure: Sun/Part Shade/Mostly Shade
• Soil Preference: Rich-sandy, moist, well-drained, slightly acidic
• Pest Resistance:
  • Essentially disease-free
  • Verticillium wilt
  • Deer
  • Rabbit
• Pest Vulnerability:
  • Aphids
  • Adelgids
• Container Plant: Yes

Needle Color: Green/Gold

Cone Color: Brown

This spreading cultivar has a bright, gold color that is more pronounced with new growth in the spring. In mild climates, the color is brightest in full sun. However, in warmer climates, the plant requires part shade-mostly shade to produce a vibrant color and prevent tip burn.

Yews can handle significant pruning, so this specimen can be shaped to fit a variety of landscape styles.

Plant Profile:

• Height @ 10 Years: 3’
• Width @ 10 Years: 4’
• Hardiness Zone: 6-8
• Sun Exposure: Sun/Part Shade/Mostly Shade
• Soil Preference: Rich-sandy, moist, well-drained, slightly acidic
• Pest Resistance:
  • Essentially disease-free
  • Verticillium wilt
  • Deer
  • Rabbit
• Pest Vulnerability:
  • Aphids
  • Adelgids
• Container Plant: Yes

Needle Color: Dark Green

Cone Color: Brown

This miniature cultivar has layered, fan-shaped branches with small, tight needles. The overall form of the plant is sweeping, graceful, and wavy.

Leave the plant to grow naturally for a compact, mounding specimen, or prune the bottom layers into a miniature tree form. This cultivar is a great addition to specialty gardens, including Japanese gardens and fairy gardens.

Plant Profile:

• Height @ 10 Years: 1’
• Width @ 10 Years: 1.5’
• Hardiness Zone: 5-9
• Sun Exposure: Sun/Part Shade
• Soil Preference: Rich-sandy, moist, well-drained, slightly acidic
• Pest Resistance:
  • Essentially disease-free
  • Verticillium wilt
  • Deer
• Pest Vulnerability:
  • Aphids
  • Adelgids
• Container Plant: Yes

Needle Color: Yellow/Green

Cone Color: Brown

This dwarf conifer adds a bright pop of color to a landscape. The intensity of the yellow undertones will change depending on how much light the plant receives. The more shade, the more lime green or yellow the needles will appear. However, this plant can only tolerate part shade; it will suffer in low light

Plant Profile:

• Height @ 10 Years: 4’
• Width @ 10 Years: 2’
• Hardiness Zone: 5-9
• Sun Exposure: Sun/Part Shade
• Soil Preference: Rich, moist, well-drained, slightly acidic
• Pest Resistance:
  • Essentially disease-free
  • Verticillium wilt
  • Deer
• Pest Vulnerability:
  • Aphids
  • Adelgids
• Container Plant: No

Needle Color: Green/Silver

Cone Color: Brown

Fukuzumi is an unpredictable cultivar with a unique, structural form. Mature plants take on the shape of a sweeping wave or bowl. These pines can be pruned to direct new growth into unexpected, architectural growth patterns.

Japanese white pines are salt, pollution, and drought tolerant.

Plant Profile:

• Height @ 10 Years: 3’
• Width @ 10 Years: 4’
• Hardiness Zone: 5-9
• Sun Exposure: Sun
• Soil Preference: Rich, moist, well-drained, slightly acidic
• Pest Resistance:
  • Essentially disease-free
  • Verticillium wilt
• Pest Vulnerability:
  • Aphids
  • Adelgids
• Container Plant: Yes

Needle Color: Green/White

Cone Color: Brown

This mounding cultivar is a popular specimen in traditional Japanese gardens. Long, soft needles are offset by bright white candles in the spring, and sweeping, upright branches add an elegant, peaceful touch to the landscape.

This conifer is drought and salt tolerant.

Plant Profile:

• Height @ 10 Years: 5.5’
• Width @ 10 Years: 5’
• Hardiness Zone: 5-9
• Sun Exposure: Sun
• Soil Preference: Rich, moist, well-drained, slightly acidic
• Pest Resistance:
  • Essentially disease-free
  • Verticillium wilt
• Pest Vulnerability:
  • Aphids
  • Adelgids
• Container Plant: Yes

Needle Color: Blue/Green

Cone Color: Brown

This upright conifer has a burst of new growth in the spring, followed by a curious second growth spurt adorned with bright green needles. The open, structural growth habit of this pine complements the natural order of a Japanese garden.

This conifer is drought and salt tolerant.

Plant Profile:

• Height @ 10 Years: 4’
• Width @ 10 Years: 2’
• Hardiness Zone: 4-8
• Sun Exposure: Sun
• Soil Preference: Rich, moist, well-drained, slightly acidic
• Pest Resistance:
  • Essentially disease-free
  • Verticillium wilt
• Pest Vulnerability:
  • Aphids
  • Adelgids
• Container Plant: Yes

Needle Color: Green

Cone Color: Brown

This Japanese native is described as the exclamation point in the landscape. The overall growth habit is a tight, compact column with green, feathery needles.

This conifer adds a unique structural element to the landscape, and it will maintain a more formal shape without intense pruning. Spartan is tolerant of drought, salt, and poor soil.

Plant Profile:

• Height @ 10 Years: 10’
• Width @ 10 Years: 6’
• Hardiness Zone: 4-8
• Sun Exposure: Sun
• Soil Preference: Rich-sandy, moist, well-drained, slightly acidic
• Pest Resistance:
  • Essentially disease-free
  • Verticillium wilt
• Pest Vulnerability:
  • Aphids
  • Adelgids
• Container Plant: Yes

Needle Color: Yellow/Green/Red

Bloom Color:N/A

The leaves of this Japanese maple grow close to the branch, which gives the overall plant a layered, hooded, structural form. The leaves are a yellow/green during the spring and summer, but transition to a bright red color in the fall.

Plant Profile:

• Height @ 10 Years: 5’
• Width @ 10 Years: 4’
• Hardiness Zone: 5-9
• Sun Exposure: Sun/Part Shade
• Soil Preference: Clay-sandy, well-drained, slightly acidic
• Pest Resistance:
  • Rabbit
• Pest Vulnerability:
  • Horse chestnut scale
  • Verticillium wilt
  • Aphids
• Container Plant: No

Needle Color: Green/Red

Bloom Color:Red

This Japanese maple cultivar has small, tight, crinkly leaves that hug the branch and show off an upright, vase-shaped growth habit. Although the natural shape is more of an upright shrub, the lower branches can be pruned to create a small, upright tree.

Plant Profile:

• Height @ 10 Years: 7’
• Width @ 10 Years: 4’
• Hardiness Zone: 6-9
• Sun Exposure: Sun/Part Shade
• Soil Preference: Clay-sandy, well-drained, slightly acidic
• Pest Resistance:
  • Rabbit
• Pest Vulnerability:
  • Horse chestnut scale
  • Verticillium wilt
  • Aphids
• Container Plant: No

Needle Color: Orange/Green/Pink/White

Bloom Color:Brown

The leaves on this Japanese maple grow close to the branch, and they go through an incredible color transformation each growing season. In the spring, new leaves break out in a bright orange color, which slowly fades to a soft green with pink and white variegations before returning to a burnt orange color in the fall.

Plant Profile:

• Height @ 10 Years: 6’
• Width @ 10 Years: 3’
• Hardiness Zone: 6-9
• Sun Exposure: Sun/Part Shade
• Soil Preference: Clay-sandy, well-drained, slightly acidic
• Pest Resistance:
  • Rabbit
• Pest Vulnerability:
  • Horse chestnut scale
  • Verticillium wilt
  • Aphids
• Container Plant: No

Needle Color: Red/Purple

Bloom Color:N/A

This lacy cultivar has a bold, deep color and a droopy, layered form. The tree will transition through different shades of red during the growing season, before fading to a dark purple in the fall.

The almost weeping nature of this tree, combined with the delicate, lacy leaves, provides an excellent companion to a traditional Japanese garden.

Plant Profile:

• Height @ 10 Years: 7’
• Width @ 10 Years: 10’
• Hardiness Zone: 5-9
• Sun Exposure: Sun/Part Shade
• Soil Preference: Clay-sandy, well-drained, slightly acidic
• Pest Resistance:
  • Rabbit
• Pest Vulnerability:
  • Horse chestnut scale
  • Verticillium wilt
  • Aphids
• Container Plant: No

Needle Color: Green/Red/Pink/Orange/Purple

Bloom Color:Red

With a name like Full Moon, this cultivar is sure to make an impression in any landscape. The leaves are so many different colors throughout the growing season, that it is constantly providing a new warmth to the landscape.

This is a larger specimen tree, and it will develop the traditional bark and growth habit of a small maple.

Plant Profile:

• Height @ 10 Years: 10’
• Width @ 10 Years: 4’
• Hardiness Zone: 5-9
• Sun Exposure: Sun/Part Shade
• Soil Preference: Clay-sandy, well-drained, slightly acidic
• Pest Resistance:
  • Rabbit
• Pest Vulnerability:
  • Horse chestnut scale
  • Verticillium wilt
  • Aphids
• Container Plant: No

Needle Color: Green/Red/Orange/Gold

Bloom Color:Red

This cultivar has lacy, strap-like leaves that resemble small, golden strings. The leaf structure is so delicate that the plant has a weeping look, although the branches are quite structural.

Like most Japanese maples, this cultivar goes through many color changes throughout the growing season. This cultivar tolerates more shade than any other Japanese maple on our list.

Plant Profile:

• Height @ 10 Years: 7’
• Width @ 10 Years: 3’
• Hardiness Zone: 5-9
• Sun Exposure: Sun/Part Shade/Mostly Shade
• Soil Preference: Clay-sandy, well-drained, slightly acidic
• Pest Resistance:
  • Rabbit
• Pest Vulnerability:
  • Horse chestnut scale
  • Verticillium wilt
  • Aphids
• Container Plant: No

Needle Color: Grey/Blue

Bloom Color:Brown

This conifer forms a dense, upright, mounding shape with a metallic blue color that is extra bright during the spring. Spruces respond well to pruning, so these conifers can be pruned up into small trees or shaped into more formal specimens.

Blue spruce are drought and salt tolerant.

Plant Profile:

• Height @ 10 Years: 3’
• Width @ 10 Years: 3’
• Hardiness Zone: 4-8
• Sun Exposure: Sun
• Soil Preference: Rich, moist, well-drained, slightly acidic
• Pest Resistance:
  • Essentially disease-free
  • Deer
  • Rabbit
• Pest Vulnerability:
  • Aphids
  • Adelgids
  • Conifer red spider mite
• Container Plant: Yes

Needle Color: Green

Bloom Color:Brown

The Hinoki cypress is a popular choice for container growing. These conifers are known for their unique structural component and fine-textured needles.

Spiralis has a tight, upright growth habit and responds well to pruning.

Plant Profile:

• Height @ 10 Years: 3’
• Width @ 10 Years: 1.5’
• Hardiness Zone: 5-9
• Sun Exposure: Sun/Part Shade
• Soil Preference: Rich, moist, well-drained, slightly acidic
• Pest Resistance:
  • Essentially disease-free
• Pest Vulnerability:
  • Aphids
  • Adelgids
  • Honey fungus
• Container Plant: Yes

Needle Color: Green

Bloom Color:Brown

As the name suggests, this miniature conifer has a small, aggressive growth habit. The limbs are sporadic, and the needles are tight and sparse, showcasing the odd, structural branching.

This conifer does well in small containers, or it can be used as part of a larger container garden.

Plant Profile:

• Height @ 10 Years: 10”
• Width @ 10 Years: 10”
• Hardiness Zone: 2-8
• Sun Exposure: Sun
• Soil Preference: Rich, moist, well-drained, slightly acidic
• Pest Resistance:
  • Essentially disease-free
  • Deer
• Pest Vulnerability:
  • Aphids
  • Adelgids
  • Conifer red spider mite
• Container Plant: Yes

Needle Color: Blue/Green/Silver

Bloom Color:Brown

This cultivar has a unique, recurved needle shape with silver, variegated coloration. The plant has an upright, open, pyramidal form, which can be accentuated through selective pruning.

Japanese white pines can tolerate slightly alkaline soils, and they are drought and salt resistant once established.

Plant Profile:

• Height @ 10 Years: 4.5’
• Width @ 10 Years: 2.5’
• Hardiness Zone: 5-9
• Sun Exposure: Sun
• Soil Preference: Rich, moist, well-drained, slightly acidic-slightly alkaline
• Pest Resistance:
  • Essentially disease-free
  • Deer
• Pest Vulnerability:
  • Aphids
  • Adelgids
• Container Plant: Yes

Needle Color: Blue

Bloom Color:Brown

This cultivar has long, shaggy needles typical of Eastern white pines. Needles grow in tufts along weeping branches, giving a soft, unique character to this upright specimen tree.

The Eastern white pine can tolerate dry, rocky, alkaline soils, but it cannot tolerate soils with poor drainage.

Plant Profile:

• Height @ 10 Years: 3’
• Width @ 10 Years: 1.5’
• Hardiness Zone: 3-8
• Sun Exposure: Sun
• Soil Preference: Rich-sandy, moist, well-drained, slightly acidic-slightly alkaline
• Pest Resistance:
  • Rabbit
  • Deer
• Pest Vulnerability:
  • Aphids
  • Adelgids
  • Blight
  • Cankers
  • Weevils
  • Pine sawfly
• Container Plant: Yes

Needle Color: Green

Bloom Color:Brown

This Japanese native adds a strong, structural element to the landscape while providing a soft, elegant touch due to long, upright needles. This cultivar has a cork bark form which gives it a unique character in a container.

Japanese pines are tolerant of drought, salt, and a wide variety of soil conditions.

Plant Profile:

• Height @ 10 Years: 5’
• Width @ 10 Years: 3’
• Hardiness Zone: 5-9
• Sun Exposure: Sun
• Soil Preference: Rich-sandy, moist, well-drained, slightly acidic-slightly alkaline
• Pest Resistance:
  • Essentially disease-free
• Pest Vulnerability:
  • Aphids
  • Adelgids
• Container Plant: Yes

Needle Color: Green/Yellow/White

Bloom Color:Brown

This upright, conical yew has a bright gold/white color and tight, dense foliage. Yews respond well to pruning, so this is an excellent container option to showcase formal and artistic shaping.

Be careful with this species because the berries are poisonous.

Plant Profile:

• Height @ 10 Years: 3’
• Width @ 10 Years: 1’
• Hardiness Zone: 6-9
• Sun Exposure: Sun/Part Shade
• Soil Preference: Rich-sandy, moist, well-drained, slightly acidic-slightly alkaline
• Pest Resistance:
  • Essentially disease-free
• Pest Vulnerability:
  • Aphids
  • Adelgids
• Container Plant: Yes